


Hopes and Dreams

by GeneralGoogle



Category: IZONE (Band)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:02:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29082075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeneralGoogle/pseuds/GeneralGoogle
Summary: Hitomi flies to Korea with nothing but wads of cash and a bag of clothes that will only last her for approximately 3 days. Hitomi crashes in with her childhood friend who works in a small cafe from the next door.
Relationships: Ahn Yujin/Kim Minju, Honda Hitomi/Kim Chaewon (IZONE)
Kudos: 9





	Hopes and Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> An entry from Snowy Day at the Bakery.
> 
> twt: HansanMoon

Honda Hitomi is the youngest daughter of a well known hotel and restaurant chain in Japan. Often described as shy, soft and naive compared to her older sister, Hitomi’s father decides to send her to Korea to study in hopes of her becoming out-going and independent. Hitomi flies to Korea with nothing but wads of cash, a credit card, her important files and a bag of clothes that will only last her for approximately 3 days. Hitomi crashes in with her childhood friend who works in a small cafe from the next door.

“行く準備はできていますか?” (t/n: Are you ready to go?)

Today, a new chapter is starting from Hitomi’s life. In less than an hour, Hitomi’s going to board a plane to South Korea to study. She vaguely remembers her father’s words, telling her something about being too shy and naive and too soft. Not that it was a bad thing, as her mother said. But her father was worried about her always being behind her sister. To be fair, Hitomi was also worried about being overshadowed by her older sister’s outstanding achievements. So as per her father’s suggestion, Hitomi is going to a foreign country alone (with only a bag of necessities good for three days) to study in hopes of becoming a better version of herself, fitting to inherit half of their family businesses. 

Hitomi hears a small announcement for passengers to board the plane now. She looks to the direction of her parents, both wearing a proud smile seeing their youngest daughter going to venture on a foreign land alone. Hitomi opened her arms to hug her parents. It’s going to be her last hug with them for a while so she makes sure to savor this moment.

“ダーリン、私はあなたをとても誇りに思っています.” (t/n: I’m so proud of you, darling.) Hitomi’s father says, wrapping his strong arm around his daughter’s much smaller frame. Hitomi’s father gave a brief kiss to the crown of Hitomi’s head. Then, the three finally pulled away. Hitomi’s mother wiped a single tear from the corner of her eyes. “空港から連れて行くために矢吹さんに電話しました. こんにちはと言ったと彼女に言ってください.” (t/n: I called Miss Yabuki to fetch you from the airport. Tell her we said hi.) Hitomi’s father said.

Hitomi gives a small smile. Right, at least she’s not completely alone. When Hitomi gets to Korea, a childhood friend of hers will be waiting for her and help her adjust to the sudden change in the environment. Come to think of it, it’s been three years since Hitomi has last seen her friend. She silently wishes her friend hadn't grown taller than her. (Her pride would be crushed if her friend grew taller than her.) 

Hitomi finally waved her hand and bid goodbye to her parents. She chuckles when she saw her father’s smile waver a little. It seemed like he really wanted to cry. On the other hand Hitomi’s mother didn’t filter herself and literally just weeped on to her husband’s arms. “ママ, パパ, ありがとう.” (t/n: Mama, papa, thank you.) Hitomi whispered before finally walking away to board her plane.

Finally, Hitomi flew to Korea to make her parents proud. During the flight, Hitomi’s mind was filled with countless scenarios and ways on how she’ll do in Korea. Perhaps she could join a cheering team? She’s probably too old for that. Or maybe focus on her studies instead? That should be a given. Maybe, get a part time job? Sounds good. She’s always wanted to try doing part time jobs but her parents wouldn’t allow her to do so because (1. She doesn’t have to, (2. They want her to focus on her studies instead, and (3. Her parents are too worried about her getting scolded and stuff. For now, Hitomi will settle for adjusting to her new life in Korea.

After what seemed to be eternity (it’s 2 hours, Hitomi was exaggerating.), Hitomi finally set foot in Korea. She stretched her limbs as she waited for her bag in the conveyor. Once she got her small luggage (which only contains necessities for 3 days) that makes her look like she’s just having a sleepover at a friend’s house, she immediately searched for her friend. After a few moments of searching, Hitomi noticed a peach colored banner with her name written on it among the crowd. 

“ひいちゃん!” (t/n: Hii-chan!)

Hitomi felt a smile appear in her lips as she heard a familiar voice calling her name. When Hitomi finally saw the owner of her voice. She placed her luggage on the ground and opened her arms to let a smaller figure tackle her to the ground. “なこちゃん! あなたに会いたかった.” (t/n: Nako! I missed you.)

“久しぶりですね.” (t/n: It’s been a while, isn’t it?) Nako said, hugging the slightly taller girl. 

Hitomi hums in agreement, “あぁ…ほっとしました.” (t/n: Ahh.. I’m relieved.) She says, patting her old friend gently, like she always used to.

“なんで?” Nako asks, still not moving from their tight hug.

“私はまだ背が高い.” (t/n: I’m still taller.) Hitomi teased, letting out hearty giggles as Nako playfully pushed her away and stood up.

“ひどい~” (t/n: So mean~) Nako replied as she took Hitomi’s bag and began walking alongside the other girl. The two went on their way to Nako’s apartment, where Hitomi will be staying until she finishes school. The girls took the trip home as an opportunity to catch up with each other. 

[...]

Hitomi huffed as she finally dropped her bag on Nako’s average sized couch. Hitomi scanned the area in awe, it was barely spacious enough for two people yet the place looked like it could house two more people. Hitomi mentally took note of the way Nako cleverly stored her items neatly in the apartment. If she applied this trick when she goes home, she might just be able to have so much space in her room to have her little studio.

“But man~ I kind of expected you to know how to speak Korean when you set foot in this land but I didn’t know you knew enough Korean to survive even without me.” Nako casually said, feigning hurt in the tone of her voice. Then, she went towards her refrigerator and opened it. “Hii-chan-sama is not a force to be reckoned with.” Nako added, this time with a faux mocking tone.

“Well, my almighty older sister once brought me to her linguistic lessons and it just so happened that the lesson was Korean so I ended up finishing the course over the week.” Hitomi chuckled heartily as Nako shook her head, seemingly amused by her friend’s words. “My sister finished the course in three days though.

“Ah yes,” Nako hummed as she pulled a carton of milk from her fridge. “The ever so smart siblings.” Nako said, pouring the milk in two separate glasses. “It took me a month to learn how to converse smoothly in Korean.” She added.

“Considering you didn’t really get any time to prepare or got any formal lessons to learn Korean, I think you also learned pretty fast.” Hitomi assured. “Plus, you came and lived here without any guidance from someone who knows how to live here.” 

Nako placed a glass of milk on the coffee table in front of Hitomi, then seated on the couch beside the one Hitomi was seated on. Nako hummed in agreement. “Well, isn’t that the purpose why I’m here?” 

The two were engulfed in a comfortable silence. Then, Nako’s phone rang a loud kpop song that Hitomi vaguely remembers from a group called TWICE. Nako leaned back to her couch and opened her phone, her eyebrows furrowed as she read the caller ID. 

“Hello?”

“...”

“Sorry Boss, I just got home from the airport. I had to fetch my friend from the airport.”

“...”

“I see. I’ll be there in more or less thirty minutes.”

“...”

“Okay, thank you very much.” Nako replied, then turning off her phone to see Hitomi watching her with a pair of curious eyes.

“Who was that?” Hitomi asked, voice laced with genuine curiosity. When Nako gave her a simple smile and waved off the question, Hitomi gasped. “Is it your boyfri-”

“No!” Nako exclaimed, setting her glass of milk on the coffee table beside Hitomi’s. “That was my boss. I work in a cafe to keep a decent amount of money for myself.” Nako explained.

“Aren’t you on scholarship though? Everything you need is already covered.” Hitomi states. “Plus, you have limitless funds from your parents?”

Nako smirks. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. This and that are two different things.” Nako states. “Of course, I have my parent’s money and all the school related stuff is already covered but I can’t just keep asking them for money, right?” Hitomi nods. “This is Korea!” Nako exclaims. “I need money to buy merch and concert tickets from TWICE!” Nako proudly huffs. “But aside from that, having a part-time job will leave a good record on my resume once I graduate.”

Hitomi diligently listened as her friend rambled on and on about her experiences in Korea. It made HItomi ponder on the things she could do now that her parents aren’t there to gate-keep everything she does. Maybe, this could be a chance for her to prove herself and make her parents proud.

[...]

Hitomi stood before a warm, cozy looking building in front of her. The building has a simple peach colored cabin exterior and a small “Hopes and Dreams” written in English. Something about the tiny building makes her feel like she was still in her warm home and not in a foreign country where she has to face everything alone. 

Well, not exactly alone.

“Hii-chan what are you standing there for?” Nako called, a cute grin visible on her pretty face. Hitomi chuckled as she saw her best friend open the large glass door for her. 

The cool air of the autumn wind brushed past Hitomi’s exposed legs. Summer has barely ended so the autumn wind wasn’t as chilly as it usually was. Hitomi finally took a step and approached the cafe’s humble building.

Hitomi was utterly impressed by the atmosphere inside the cafe. It was just as she expected it to be when she saw the cabin-like exterior of the building. Most of the furniture inside the cafe inside the building was made out of wood. On the far left area of the cafe was a fireplace. It didn’t seem to be used since summer had ended just a few days prior. On the other side was a bunch of full bookshelves neatly arranged that it looked like a mini library section. In the middle area of the cafe were the rectangular table and chairs made out of what Hitomi guessed to be walnut wood. The cafe has a really home-y feel to its interior, especially the corner with smaller coffee tables and bean bags. 

But despite the warm and cozy atmosphere of the cafe, there was also a hint of chicness and modernity in the interior. Like, the hanging lamps on the bar area or the nice silvery and matte black espresso machine. It seemed like a peaceful, quiet heaven. A perfect spot for those who want a peace of mind or for those who simply wanted a change in the scenery of the modern city of Seoul.

“Welcome to Hopes and Dreams!” Nako enthusiastically said, proudly huffing once she saw her bestfriend’s amazed look. Then, Nako pointed to one of the empty seats for Hitomi to take a seat on. Once Hitomi settled herself on the comfortable couch, Nako tapped her shoulder and pointed to what Hitomi assumed to be the staff room. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

Hitomi let her eyes roam around the cafe. There aren’t a lot of customers inside the cafe. Then, Hitomi noticed the tall figure behind the counter. The figure’s back was facing Hitomi so the said girl couldn’t see the figure’s face but she did know, the tall figure was a woman. The woman had quite long hair, Hitomi could see the peach highlights underneath the woman’s hair.

The bell of the cafe made a small jingle. Hitomi quietly watched as a new person set foot inside the cafe. As cheesy as it may seem, the scene unfolded slowly for Hitomi. From the moment the woman flipped her silky black long hair to the moment where she smiled as she met Hitomi’s eyes. 

Hitomi let out a small puff of breath as the woman passed by her. “きれい...” (t/n: Beautiful…) Hitomi muttered, silently hoping that the woman can’t understand Japanese.

But fate seemed to have a different plan. The moment Hitomi muttered her compliment, the woman stopped in her tracks and looked to Hitomi’s direction. Then the woman flashed quite a charming smile. Hitomi felt her cheeks set aflame as the woman spoke. “あなたはそう思う?” (t/n: You think so?) The woman let out a pretty giggle when Hitomi froze in her spot. No way. The woman just understood what she said. Just as Hitomi was about to apologize, she heard her friend’s name.

“HIi-chan!” Nako called, standing before Hitomi and the pretty stranger that Hitomi just complimented. Nako looked visibly confused as to why Hitomi looked like a ripe tomato. Nako glanced at the stranger and-

“Hi Boss!” Nako greeted, giving a little bow to the stranger.

Wait, what?

“Boss?” Hitomi whispered, frantically searching Nako’s eyes for any answer.

“Yeah! This is my boss, Kim Chaewon-unnie! She owns this cafe.” Nako huffed as she turned to her boss. “This is Hii-chan. An old friend of mine.” 

Chaewon smiled once more and held out her hand for Hitomi to shake. “Kim Chaewon. Nice to meet you.”

Hitomi forced a polite smile on her lips, struggling to keep her composure to avoid embarrassing herself further. She took Chaewon’s hand and shook it. “I’m Hitomi… Nice to meet you…” Hitomi said, voice becoming smaller as her embarrassment clouds over her mind.

“I haven’t seen you here before? Are you a visitor?” Chaewon asked.

Thank God for Nako seeming to notice how Hitomi looked a little troubled and answered the given question for Hitomi. “She’s the friend I fetched from the airport, unnie.” Nako replied, earning a hum of acknowledgement from Chaewon. Nako side-eyed Hitomi, checking on her dazed friend. “She’s probably tired from the trip though.”

“Well, I’m glad you think the cafe looks pretty but we have to get to work now.” Chaewon said. “I’ll see you later- err, HIi-chan. You can borrow books from the shelves on that corner. Oh but you’re a foreigner right-” 

“Unnie, quit bothering my friend!” Nako said, pulling Chaewon by the cuffs of her blazer.

And just like that, Chaewon and Nako left Hitomi on the table, still dazed from embarrassment. Hitomi slumped her body on the cool surface of the walnut table in front of her. She glanced to the window on her left as she remembered the embarrassment she just felt. She felt like burying herself right there and then. Ugh, now her head hurts. Hitomi sighed and closed her eyes. 

“Well, I’m glad you think the cafe looks pretty...”

Are you saying Hitomi got embarrassed for nothing? 

Maybe.

Hitomi let out a quiet huff as she collected her composure. Okay, Hitomi. You’re here to study, not to fall in love with a certain black haired lady that’s certainly not her friend’s boss and totally not named Kim Chaewon- No no no. Stop thinking of her, you just think she’s pretty and all and absolutely not someone who looks like your futu-

Hitomi was shaken off her thoughts when a quiet clamp of glass rang through her ears. Hitomi opened her eyes and saw the tall girl from the counter earlier. “Here’s affogato and cinnamon bagel from the boss.” The girl said, placing the cup of affogato, the plate of cinnamon bagel and chocolate dip. “I’m Yujin. The barista.” The girl, Yujin, said. Yujin held the circular tray in her arms as she politely bowed to Hitomi before smiling. “I added a teaspoon of vanilla extract and mint leaves in your affogato. It helps in reducing nausea.” Yujin stated, pointing to the pretty cup of affogato placed beside the plate of bagel. “Nako-unnie said you’re probably hungry after a long trip but I didn’t know what you would like so I made you a cinnamon bagel. It’s one of the popular menus.” 

Hitomi quietly watched as Yujin explained the snacks she prepared for her. Then, Hitomi noticed Chaewon behind the counter where she first saw Yujin. Chaewon’s cuffs were neatly folded just exactly below her elbows and her long hair was now tied up in a ponytail. The navy blue color of her blazer complimenting Chaewon’s wavy black hair. Hitomi could only admire the girl as Chaewon spoke to the customers of the cafe with a polite smile on her lips.

When Hitomi finally snapped out of her thoughts, she saw Yujin looking at her with genuine curiosity in her eyes. It almost feels like the girl in front of her was a human embodiment of a puppy.

“It seems you have taken a liking to Chaewon-unnie.” Yujin whispered, barely audible to Hitomi’s ears. Hitomi shook her head in denial, frantically defending herself over nothing. Yujin chuckles and her dimples appear on her cheeks. She leaned a little to Hitomi’s ear and whispered, “I’ll have you know, the boss doesn’t usually give free snacks and coffee to guests.” 

Hitomi felt her face heat up as Yujin whispered to her ear, mischief and playfulness obvious in her voice. Then, Yujin finally moved away from Hitomi’s ear and gave probably her most charming smile. “Don’t worry about paying. It’s on the house.” Yujin said. “Please enjoy.”

“Ah- Thank you, Yujin.”

Yujin bowed again and flashed a smile. “どういたしまして.” (t/n: You’re welcome.) Yujin replied, finally walking back to the counter as she dusted her hands on her grey apron.

Hitomi looked back to the affogato and bagel in front of her. She took the elegant looking silver spoon and cautiously took a small scoop of the vanilla ice cream and tasted it. Hitomi hums in delight as the cool treat’s slightly sweet taste spreads through her taste buds. There’s a slight bitter aftertaste from the shot of espresso. Then, she took the tiny fork that seemed to be the other pair of the spoon and took a small chunk of the bagel and ate it. 

Hitomi quietly watched as a new wave of customers came in. A bunch of girls entered the cafe, chattering happily as they approached the counter. It doesn’t take much for Hitomi to notice the way the girls look at Yujin like she was some kind of treasure. Not that she’s judging, Yujin IS incredibly pretty. As soon as Yujin wrote the girls’ orders in a blue notepad, she ripped the page and passed it to Chaewon, whose hair was now tucked in a ponytail.

Chaewon’s cuffs were now folded just below her elbows. Chaewon looked absolutely attractive even when she’s literally just reading Yujin’s notes while leaning on the back counter. Hitomi felt her breath hitch as the scene slowly unfolded right before her. Chaewon lets go of the note. Then, she stretches her neck to the left, closing her eyes as she does so.

Then their eyes met.

Chaewon winked at her, bearing a wide grin as Hitomi suddenly whipped her head to a different direction, frantically avoiding the cafe owner’s teasing smile. Hitomi wanted nothing but to sink to the ground and bash her head to a wall until the embarrassment disappeared. She’s pretty sure her face looks like a tomato right now. Hitomi takes a bite from her bagel, gently slapping her cheeks afterwards to regain her composure. 

“Hii-chan are you okay?” 

Hitomi saw her best friend standing next to her table, amusement obvious in her facial expression.

“Y-Yeah…” Hitomi whispers, barely audible to her friend’s ears. “I’m okay..”

Thankfully, Nako doesn’t seem to notice what was actually wrong and decided to brush it off. “Yena-unnie should be coming soon. We can head home now.”

“Okay…”

-Hitomi wasn’t able to stop thinking about her friend’s boss for the rest of the day-

[...]

Exactly three days after, Hitomi found herself sitting quietly under the shade of a nice tree. She stared at the campus’ open field, hands full with her chopsticks and bento (courtesy of Miss Yabuki bragging about her cooking skills). 

“Hii-chan~” Hitomi snapped out of her daze as her friend came into her view. Nako plopped down beside her, back immediately slouching as she unwrapped her own lunchbox. “How was class?”

Hitomi shrugged. “It was okay, it's a little awkward since it's my first time in a class full of foreigners.” She said.

Nako chuckled. “Correction.” She said, poking Hitomi's cheek with her index finger. “WE are foreigners. You'll get used to it.”

Hitomi rolled her eyes, giggling a little afterwards. “Okay, Miss-Professional-Korean-Yabuki-Nako-sama.” Hitomi stated, voice laced with faux mock. 

“Ah, That's right!” Nako chimed. “Chaewon-unnie asked if you wanted to work at her cafe.” Nako said, voice getting thinner by each word.

Hitomi hums. “I don't mind. I've always wanted to try part-time jobs-”

“Heh.”

“What.”

“What?”

“Are you sure it’s because you just want a part-time job?” Nako asked, smugness wrapped in her voice as she noticed the way Hitomi’s face blushed a bright shade of red. “Heh~ Miss Hitomi you cannot lie to me.”

“H- I just want a job!” Hitomi whined, ignoring Nako’s boisterous teasing laughter.

“Tsk tsk.” Nako shook her head sideways. “I was watching you in the cafe. Chaewon-unnie winked at you.”

Before Hitomi could even defend herself, Nako quickly stood up, grabbing her wrist and practically dragged her away. “Where are we going?!” Hitomi screamed.

Nako only grinned at her friend as they ran past the hallway filled with the loud chattering of the students. “It’s a secret~”

By the time the two had stopped running, Hitomi found herself in an unfamiliar building. Unlike the main building, the area they were in didn’t have as many students. Only a few, quirky looking students passed by. The two entered the unfamiliar building. Hitomi quietly watched as Nako confidently walked in as if she knew the building from every nook and corner.

Then finally, the two reached a mint colored door at the end of the hallway. Nako placed a finger on her lip as she quietly muttered a small “Hush…” before knocking on the door.

After a short moment of silence, the door opened and the scent of freshly baked goods invaded Hitomi’s senses. Chaewon stood by the door, her blue uniform looking like it was showered with powder. A small smile was already plastered in Chaewon’s face before Hitomi was able to process what was happening.

“What brings you here?” Chaewon asks, leaning to the doorway, shifting her weight on one foot as she grinned. 

“Hii-chan accepted your offer, unnie. You told me to tell you her response as soon as possible.” Nako chimed, patting Hitomi’s shoulder as she proudly huffs.

Chaewon brings a hand to her lips as she chuckles. “I was kidding when I said that, but I appreciate the effort.” She says. Then, Chaewon moved away from the door and gestured for the younger girls to enter the room as she removed her waist apron. “Good timing, I made a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls, come have some.”

Once the girls entered the room, Hitomi settled herself on a white classic lounge couch on the far right corner of what Hitomi assumed to be Chaewon’s workshop, judging from the scattered kitchen utensils on the flour covered table. The room was entirely different from the cafe but the same cozy mood was there. Hitomi doesn’t know whether the mood came from the room or if it came from Chaewon instead.

The scent of the freshly baked cinnamon invaded Hitomi’s nose. Such a fragrant scent. It would be easy to assume that the roll would taste good. As Hitomi scanned the area, she heard a quiet clank on the glass coffee table in front of her. 

Chaewon set a metal tray on the coffee table. She passed the tea cups and small plates to the two girls before placing a porcelain teapot on the table, taking the metal tray again then coming back again with a plate of fresh cinnamon rolls. “Help yourselves. I tried adding a few drops of vanilla extract to enhance the fragrance.” Chaewon sat on the small white bergère chair on the other side of the table. Chaewon poured tea on the cups before leaning back to her chair. She crossed her legs as she took a sip on her own teacup.

Hitomi was entranced by the scene and couldn’t help but stare. What’s with her and her shameless staring?

The girls quietly sat and ate, the comfortable silence not bothering them. It was almost as if they were simply in the cafe.

“You know, I was kidding about the offer.” Chaewon says, snapping Hitomi out of her trance. “But if Nako says you ‘accepted’ the offer, then I wouldn’t mind having another pretty girl on my crew.” Chaewon says, smiling as Hitomi looked away, cheeks flushed. “I think you’d make a fine barista. Just like Yujin, you could balance her cool vibe.” 

“Aish… Stop teasing her unnie! She’s barely living here for a week.” Nako said, defending her now blushing friend.

Chaewon chuckled before setting her cup back to the table. She stood and moved close to Hitomi. Placing a hand on her chin, Chaewon leaned close to Hitomi’s face and hummed. The two stayed in that position for a good few moments. 

Hitomi felt her breath hitch as she stared directly through Chaewon’s eyes. Maybe she has a teeny weenie little crush on her friend’s boss. Or it could be love at first sight. It doesn’t matter, but what Hitomi does know is that she does want to get to know Chaewon.

“Ahem.” Nako interrupts and Chaewon moves away with a wide grin on her face. Nako glances on her watch. “Our break time will be over in a few minutes. Sorry boss, you can flirt with Hii-chan next time.” Nako teases.

“Hey hey, don’t start acting cheeky on me.” Chaewon says as she lightly flicked Nako’s forehead. Then Chaewon glanced at Hitomi and brought out her phone. “You can start working next week but I advise you to observe the cafe so you can familiarize yourself before work.” Then, Chaewon handed her phone to Hitomi. “Give me your number so I can contact you once you start working.”

Hitomi took the phone without hesitation and quickly typed in her phone number then wrote her name as “Honda Hitomi” before giving the phone back to its owner.

“Ah, Hii-chan!” Nako calls, gaining the attention of the said girl. “You can go ahead first, I need to speak with my boss about a few things.”

And just like that, Hitomi left the room and began to walk her way back to her classroom. Her mind was practically fleeting at this point. There’s only two instances where she sees Chaewon and yet she can’t take her mind off her. It was almost driving her crazy. Almost. Okay, maybe she just finds Chaewon really pretty. But she also finds Yujin incredibly pretty and she doesn’t think of her as much as she thinks of Chaewon.

Hitomi’s train of thought was cut when she felt herself bumping to something- someone, rather. She felt a hand grab her arm in an attempt to stop her from crashing down, eyes closing as she felt her body freeze. But to no avail, Hitomi still felt her bum hit the ground. “Ouch…” She quietly muttered.

“Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohm-”

“Are you okay?” 

Once Hitomi was able to regain her composure, she opened her eyes, only to see a very (VERY) gorgeous woman holding on to her arm for her dear life. Beside the gorgeous woman was another girl, a little shorter than the former, who was looking at her also with worry. The gorgeous woman helped Hitomi stand up and dusted her uniform. “I-I’m really sorry,” The woman said. “I wasn’t looking in my way.”

“No, no, it’s fine.” Hitomi replies, smiling politely as the woman lets out a sigh of relief. “I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings either.” 

“I’m Kim Minjoo,” The woman, Kim Minjoo, offered her hand for Hitomi to shake. “I haven’t seen you before, are you the transfer student in class B?” Minjoo asks, a smile making its way on her lips.

Hitomi hums as she takes Minjoo’s totally-not-that-soft-hand and shakes it. “I’m Hitomi… The transfer student.” Hitomi sees the other girl tap Minjoo’s shoulder. Then, Minjoo glanced at her gold watch and quietly gasped, eyebrows lightly furrowing as a wave of realization hit her.

“Well, uh. It’s nice to meet you, Hitomi! But I’m afraid we have to go now.” Minjoo says before grabbing the other girl’s hand and rushing off, not letting Hitomi say her final greetings. But before Hitomi turns back to walk to her own destination, she hears Minjoo calling for her again. At the other end of the hall, Hitomi saw Minjoo standing there, looking all too darn fine with the rays of the sun bathing her. “Um! I’m free next Friday! I’ll treat you to a meal at Hopes and Dreams!” She says, before finally walking away.

And just like that, Minjoo and her friend disappeared into the crowd, leaving Hitomi dumbfounded by what had just happened.

Then, that was the last time Hitomi saw her for a week.

[...]

“I knew what you did there.”

“Knew what?”

“...”

“...”

“Oh please, quit playing around.”

“Nothing ever gets past you, huh.”

“It was too obvious. ”

“And what makes you think that?”

“You don’t ask for phone numbers when recruiting people.”

“Hey! I usually ask for my crew’s numbers!”

“You don’t even have any of our numbers!”

“I-”

“But if I see you do anything suspicious to my friend I won’t hesitate to break your knees.”

“Wow, do you have to be so violent?”

“I’m just making sure~”

[...]

Maybe working in the cafe wasn’t such a bad idea. There aren’t a lot of customers. Or maybe it’s just that they all don’t come in at the same times. The scenario in the cafe wasn’t like how she imagined at all. She expected a peaceful environment, a calm and quiet scene. Not a rowdy hooligan backdrop as she tries to clean up the glass cups that were already collecting dust in the upper shelves of their counter. It was quite a spectacle.

She sighs. On one side of the cafe, Nako was busy cleaning up the empty tables, not giving a single care about all the noise. Beside Hitomi was Kang Hyewon, their barista, also busy brewing a cup of coffee for another customer. Hitomi envies them, being able to ignore the noise.

On the other side of the cafe, where the noise mainly comes from, Yujin and Yena were bickering about something that Hitomi has no interest with. Hitomi just knows that everyday in the cafe is like this. Loud and unruly. But it’s okay, it makes the cafe seem a little lively. Hitomi just hopes the two would deafen their voices a little.

Another thing that Hitomi noticed was that the cafe was a little too popular among girls. Most of their customers were girls. Girls of all ages, ranging from early teens to middle aged women to a few old ladies. Maybe it was because the cafe has a feminine vibe. There are also a few male customers, most of them boys in highschool or guys who're taking their girlfriends on a date. But the funny thing is, all of them seem to look at the staff with such adoration. Maybe it’s because they’re charming in their own ways, the staff, I mean. Hitomi agrees. Her co-workers were indeed charmin-

“Hitomi-yah,” Hitomi snaps out of her thoughts when she hears her co-worker, Hyewon taps on her shoulder. “We just ran out of coffee here, can you get a new sack from the storage room? You can ask Yujin to help you.” Hyewon said, Hitomi nodding after. Hyewon glanced behind Hitomi, “Yujin, help Hitomi get a sack of coffee in the storage room!”

When Hitomi and Yujin brought out the sack, Chaewon was already standing next to the cashier, taking the orders of the customers. 

“Hi Boss~” Yujin greeted, earning the attention of the said person.

Chaewon turned to the two and smiled. “Hi Yujin, Hi Tomi~” Chaewon replied as Hitomi flashed a smile. Chaewon moved away from the cashier as Yujin took over her position. Chaewon gave Hitomi a cup with the order of the customer and gave her a pat in the head. “I hope you’re having a good time.” Chaewon says, chuckling at Hitomi’s reddish face before walking away to grab two aprons.

“Oh, Hitomi!” Hitomi looked to the owner of the voice and saw Minjoo, waving her hand at her. Hitomi waved her hand back as Minjoo approached her. “I didn’t know you we’re working here..” She said, rather sheepishly.

Hitomi chuckles. “I started working like, a week ago…”

Minjoo smiles. “What time will you get off? I’ll treat you to a mea-”

“Are you trying to flirt with my employee, Miss Kim Minjoo?” Chaewon interrupts, suddenly appearing behind Hitomi as she takes the cup from Hitomi and starts brewing the recipe written. 

Minjoo snorts. “No, dummy. I accidentally bumped into her in the hallway but I was rushing so I couldn’t compensate.” Minjoo says.

“Pfft- Anyway,” Chaewon says, as she places the empty cup to an espresso machine and hits a button. “You’re already tied. You better not be flirting with anyone at all.”

Oh. So they’re dating… The idea wasn’t far fetched at all. Chaewon is pretty. Minjoo is pretty. It simply makes sense. But something about that idea makes Hitomi feel… A little disheartened. It’s okay, it’s just a little crush. Just a little. You barely even know your boss. She could be a leader of a mafia organization and is disguising as a cafe owner.

For the rest of the day, Hitomi felt crestfallen. 

[...]

Hitomi sits on her bed with her notebook in hand, reviewing a topic they had discussed in class earlier that day. She yawns, stretching her limbs as she does so. Then, she lies on her back and the thought of Chaewon crosses her mind. She can’t help but think of her. Call her crazy but it was true. It’s hard not to think of her. Not when she gets all smiley after drinking a cup of cappuccino that Minjoo brewed.

You’re already tied. You better not be flirting with anyone at all.

Hitomi’s stomach churns. Hitomi, no. Your parents didn’t raise you to fall in love with girls who’re taken by someone else already. Only bad people do that. Hitomi sighs.

“Hii-chan~” Nako calls from the other side of the room. Nako stands up from her study table and moves to sit beside Hitomi’s bed. “You okay?”

Hitomi smiles. “Yeah…” Hitomi mutters, purposely avoiding Nako’s worried eyes.

Nako hums. “Is it Chaewon-unnie?”

“Ye- No!” Hitomi whines sitting back up from her bed and lightly punching Nako’s arm. Then she sighs and rests her head on Nako’s shoulder. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me…” Hitomi says as her friend takes her hand and caresses it.

“Maybe you’re feeling homesick?” Nako asks, fiddling with the tip of Hitomi’s soft fingers.

“Mm…”

“I know how it feels…” Nako hums. Silence engulfs the two young ladies, save for their quiet breathing and the sound of passing cars from the outside. “Why don’t you give your parents a call? I’ll go do some school work for now.” Nako says as Hitomi sits up. “I’ll ask Chaewon-unnie if we could take a day off tomorrow.”

Once Nako leaves the room, Hitomi is left alone with her phone and notebook in her bed. She picked up her phone and opened it before dialing a number she already memorized by heart.

“Hello? Mom?”

[...]

“Hey, uh boss? Can you do us a favor?”

[...]

The next day, Hitomi and Nako stood before the cafe, the same way when Nako first showed her the cafe. Nako tugged at Hitomi’s cuffs and pulled her towards the entrance.

“I thought you asked Chaewon-unnie if we could take a day off?” Hitomi asked, unsuspicious of the way Nako hummed happily as they walked.

“I did, but I didn’t say we’re spending time here.” Nako says, letting go of Hitomi’s hand. “Lo and behold!” Nako cheers as she pushes through the door of the cafe and pulls Hitomi inside. 

No way. The cafe’s interior was completely completely different. Gone was the cabin-like scenario and was replaced by a traditional japanese sushi bar interior. Chaewon and Hyewon stood behind the “bar”, proud grins plastered on their faces. 

“いらっしゃいませ!” (t/n: welcome!) Chaewon greeted, raising her arms as Hitomi watched in awe. Beside the counter was Yujin, Minjoo, and Yena, smiling as they held a banner with a ‘Welcome to the crew Hitoma!’ written in Japanese.

“W-What’s this?” Hitomi asked, surprised about the sudden change in the cafe’s interior.

“Nako-unnie said you were feeling homesick so we decided to make you feel like you’re back in Japan with our new interior!” Chaewon replies. “Do you like it?” She asks.

Hitomi feels her eyes well up with tears. “What about the cafe? And the customers?”

Chaewon tilts her head in confusion. “What about them?”

“Won’t the customers feel surprised by the sudden change?” Hitomi asks, clenching and unclenching her hands.

“Oh that.” Chaewon mutters as she places her hands on the pockets of her apron. “They won’t. I closed down the cafe for today.” The Boss says, walking out of the bar to approach Hitomi.

“Eh, but-”

“No buts!” Chaewon shushed Hitomi by placing a finger on the younger’s lower lip. “If you want you can think of this as a welcome ceremony… Though, technically it is one.” She says, grabbing Hitomi’s hand and pulling her to one of the high chairs placed in front of the bar then making her sit. “何を注文しますか？” (t/n: What would you like to order?) Chaewon adds, handing a menu to Hitomi.

After choosing what to eat, Hitomi observed the cafe. It certainly did look like a Japanese restaurant but the young lady could still see the flaws in the interior. Not that it was a problem. In fact, she’s glad that her boss and her best friend decided to take the time for her to feel more at home. 

Once Hitomi was served with the food she chose, she quickly took a taste. It tasted far from what she usually ate in Japan, but it’s not bad. It was good. Just a little different. She feels like tearing up. She misses home but for now, she thinks she’ll be able to call this place home soon.

The rest of the day was spent in the cafe, Nako and Hitomi sharing stories from their childhood and overall just getting to know each other.

Now, Hitomi leans on the rails of the veranda of the cafe. The view seems really nice. The place isn’t that high but it was a perfect place to see the night sky. The wind was already chilly. Nothing a little more layers of clothing can’t handle. Hitomi almost jumped in her place as she felt a cold hand on her cheek. Hitomi turned around and saw Chaewon holding a scarf with her left hand and a cup on her other hand.

“Hey… I brought you hot chocolate.” Chaewon whispered. “It’s getting colder now, winter is already coming.” Chaewon says, wrapping the scarf around Hitomi’s exposed neck before handing her the cup of chocolate. “What are you doing here alone?”

Hitomi hums. “Nothing… Just admiring the view.” She says, eyes back to the night sky.

“I see...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“You know, you’re very brave.” Chaewon suddenly says, earning the attention of the other girl. “If I was you… I wouldn’t be able to suddenly move out of my comfort place.” She adds. “I want to tell you about something that’s boggling me for a while…” Chaewon says as Hitomi watches. “Hitomi, I want to know y-”

“BOSS! HELP US! NAKO IS ABOUT TO KILL YENA!”

“Um…” Hitomi points back to the door. “I think you should check up on them, unnie…” Hitomi smiles, ignoring the way her heart drums too loudly. 

Chaewon looks a little too disappointed from the way her lips turned to a pout. Thankfully, Hitomi doesn’t seem to notice. “I… I’ll see you later, I guess?” Chaewon says as Hitomi nods.

Once Chaewon goes back inside, Hitomi covers her face with her left hand, suddenly feeling warmth in her face. Dozens of thoughts about what Chaewon wanted to say to her crossed her mind. But in the end, she feels the cold reality hit her once she remembers Minjoo.

However, before Hitomi drowns in her own thoughts, she spots a scene she should’ve never seen. “Minjoo…?” Hitomi whispers under her breath, then a gasp comes out as she witnesses Yujin approach Minjoo and….

….Kiss her.

Then, Minjoo entered a black sedan and waved Yujin a goodbye with a smile. Yujin stepped away as the car finally moved away. Yujin noticed Hitomi from the ground and waved before placing a finger on her own lip as if telling Hitomi to keep quiet about what she just saw. No way.

Hitomi wasn't able to forget about that scene. It bothered her to know Minjoo was cheating behind Chaewon.

[...]

For the next few months. Hitomi tried her best to get along with her new friends including Minjoo. It was hard but there was nothing she could do but to keep quiet. It wasn't her business to meddle with.

Hitomi sat quietly on her study desk. Each passing day she can't help but think of Chaewon. Maybe she wasn't wrong when she assumed she had a teenie weenie crush on her. Maybe her feelings grew more and more to the point that knowing Minjoo and Yujin had a relationship behind Chaewon began to frustrate her. It's December and Hitomi feels the harsh coldness of the season.

Hitomi watched as Nako sat beside her on her own desk. “Hii-chan tell me what's wrong?” Nako asks.

“Nothing's wrong…” 

Nako doesn't buy the excuse though. “Hii-chan, I'm like Sherlock Holmes here. Just tell me what's wrong or I have to resort to other 'means' to make you spill.” Nako threatens.

“Wow, okay geez. You don't have to be violent.”

“If it's needed, I won't even hesitate.”

Then, Hitomi began telling what she saw on the night when she saw Yujin and Minjoo kiss. Nako listened to her attentively, eyebrows furrowed and all.

“I think you should tell, Chaewon-unnie.” Nako says.

“Eh but-”

“Just tell her!”

“Okay okay!”

“Make sure to not tell her over the phone!”

[...]

And so, here sits Hitomi on the cold bench of the nearby park. The temperature has gone incredibly lower than when she had first arrived in Korea.

“Hey~” Chaewon calls, approaching Hitomi with a bright grin on her face. “Sorry for running a little late. I had to help Minjoo with some paper files.” Chaewon says, scratching her nape. “What did you want to talk about?”

Hitomi chuckles nervously. “I-It's umm. About Minjoo…”

Chaewon tilts her head in confusion. “Huh? What about her?”

Hitomi opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. So she gulped once before attempting to speak. “I've been keeping this for a long time but uh.. I hope you don't get mad..” Hitomi says, nerves calming a little after Chaewon held her hand for comfort.

“I think… Minjoo's cheating.” 

And Hitomi regrets telling Chaewon when she sees her face fall into mixed emotions.

“WHAT?!” Chaewon screamed. “Is this true?!” Chaewon asks, voice 3 octaves higher.

Hitomi nods. “I saw her kissing… someone.”

Chaewon rubs her head, she feels dizzy from the sudden news. “Did you see who she was kissing?”

Hitomi gulps before nodding. “It’s… uh… Yujin.”

Chaewon’s face blanks. “Oh.”

“Oh?”

Then, Chaewon bursts into a fit of laughter. “Are you kidding me?” Chaewon asks, earning a pout from Hitomi. “Tomi-yah you didn’t know?” And Chaewon laughs some more when confusion becomes visible in Hitomi’s face. “Minjoo and Yujin ARE dating!” Chaewon exclaims.

What.

“What?” 

“Did you think I was dating Minjoo?” Chaewon asks. “Because if it’s true then, ew, that’s disgusting. Minjoo is my dumb cousin!”

Are you saying Hitomi got worried for months over nothing?

Maybe.

When Chaewon finally stops laughing, she pulls Hitomi to a hug. “Thank you for telling me though. I’m glad you care about me. You just happen to have the most terrible senses ever.” Chaewon says. “But I do like someone though.”

Hitomi pulls away from the hug, seemingly dumbfounded by Chaewon’s words. And just when she thought she had a chance.

“Before you assume anything else…” Chaewon says, putting her hand in her pocket and grabbing a velvety box and opening it and showing a pretty necklace with a letter “H” carved on its pendant. 

“It’s you… You’re the one I like.”

End.


End file.
